Open top dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser has a primary cavity having first and second sides and an open end and a closed end, the open end allowing for the insertion and the removal of a pad of notes. The dispenser also includes a base defining the closed end of the dispenser; front and rear portions, each portion having first and second ends and opposing inside and outside surfaces, the front and rear portions disposed on the base such that the second end of each portion is proximate to the base, the front portion comprises a slot extending from the first end to the second end; and a biasing mechanism disposed proximate the rear portion.

FILED OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an open top dispenser. In particular,the present invention relates to a dispenser that allows for easyloading and reloading of pads of repositionable notes of differentsizes. The dispenser is particularly suited for dispensingrepositionable notes in a z-stacked configuration.

BACKGROUND

Repositionable paper notes are used widely today. Some notes areassembled in a z-stacked (also referred to as “fan fold”) construction.In such a construction, the note, typically square, but can also berectangular, or special die cut shaped, has opposing front and backsurfaces. On the back surface, along an edge or region of the note is astripe of repositionable adhesive. The front of the note may contain arelease coating. The notes are stacked so that the adhesive stripe ofeach note is positioned on alternating ends of the pad of notes.Commercially available pads of repositionable notes are available from3M Company under the Post-it® brand.

There are a wide variety of dispensers for pads of repositionable notes.Examples of commercially available dispensers include those from 3MCompany, St. Paul, Minn., such as the Designer Series Pop-Up NotesDispenser, DS440-VP or DS330-VA for 4 by 4 inch or 3 by 3 inch notesrespectively, the Professional Design Pop-Up Notes Dispenser, PRO440-VPor PRO330 for 4 by 4 inch or 3 by 3 inch notes respectively. 3M alsooffers a Professional Design Pop-Up Dispenser PRO331-RB for 3 by 3 inchnote with a pen holder where the dispenser is mountable on a verticalsurface. These dispensers offer attractive designs and are functional.

There is a continuing need for different dispensers for the marketplace.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the invention pertains to a dispenser having a primarycavity having first and second sides and an open end and a closed end,the open end allowing for the insertion and the removal of a pad ofnotes. The dispenser further comprises a base defining the closed end ofthe dispenser; front and rear portions, each portion having first andsecond ends and opposing inside and outside surfaces, the front and rearportions disposed on the base such that the second end of each portionis proximate to the base, the front portion comprises a slot extendingfrom the first end to the second end; and a biasing mechanism disposedproximate the rear portion.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides the user withthe versatility of using differently sized pads of repositionable notes.In one exemplary application, the dispenser is mounted on a verticalsurface and has a cavity for holding writing instruments providing theuser with added convenience.

Most commercially available dispensers require two motions or steps toload a pad of repositionable notes, such as, e.g., one motion to open acover and a second motion to load the pad. Alternatively, one motion isused to depress a plunger in the dispenser and another motion is used toslide in the pad. One advantage of present invention is that it allowsthe loading of the pad in one motion, simply by sliding the pad into theopening of the dispenser. The sliding action simultaneously depresses aplate on the biasing mechanism and loads the pad, as further explainedin detail below.

In this document, the term “about” is presumed to modify all numericalvalues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better described with reference to the followingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial fragmented view of an exemplary biasing mechanismfor use with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 a is a side cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2taken along line 6 a-6 a;

FIG. 6 b is a side cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 aloaded with a pad of notes;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 loaded with apad of notes and utensils; and

FIG. 8 is a partial fragmented view of another exemplary biasingmechanism for use with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

These figures are idealized, are not drawn to scale, and are intendedmerely for illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser 1 having base10, front portion 20 and rear portion 30 together forming primary cavity12 having first side 50 a and second side 50 b. The front portion hasfirst edge 23 defining the open end of the dispenser, second edge 24 andopposing inside surface (not shown) and outside surface 21. Similarly,the rear portion has first edge 33 defining the open end of thedispenser, second edge 34, and opposing inside surface 32 and outsidesurface 31. The front portion includes first front portion 20 a andsecond front portion 20 b divided by slot 28. Optionally, the first andsecond front portion includes aperture 28 a and 28 b respectively. Theslot extends from first edge 23 to second edge 24. The front and rearportions are disposed on the base such that the second edge of eachportion 24, 34 respectively lie proximate to the base thereby definingthe closed end of the dispenser. Proximate to the first side of thedispenser lies internal wall 13 extending from rear portion. Thepresence of the internal wall forms secondary cavity 14.

In this particular embodiment, the front and rear portions are separatecomponents joined together at side seams 50 a and 50 b. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the front and rear portions are formed as anintegral unit. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the front and rearportions and the base are formed as an integral unit. Optionally, thefront and or back portion can be made with translucent materials and canfurther include indicia and or graphics. FIG. 1 also shows exemplarybiasing mechanism 40 that can be used in the present invention. Asfurther described below, the biasing mechanism biases a pad of notes(not shown) against the inner surface of front portion 20.

FIGS. 2, 5, 6 a and 6 b show various views of the dispenser of FIG. 1and particularly to biasing mechanism 40. The dispenser has a lengthdimension L and a depth dimension D. As can be seen in FIG. 6 a, whenthe dispenser is not loaded with a pad of repositionable notes, biasingmechanism extends from inside surface 32 of rear portion 30 to insidesurface 22 of front portion 20 to bias a pad of repositionable notesagainst the inside surface of the front portion. FIG. 5 better shows thebiasing mechanism, which includes arms 42 having means for attaching themechanism to the rear portion. One exemplary means for attaching themechanism include pins 44 adapted for engagement with opening 35 in therear portion. Extending from the arm is plate 46 having opposingmounting surface 46 a and support surface 46 b. Optionally, ribs 49extend from the edge of plate 46. In one embodiment, the ribs are spacedto accommodate a specific size pad of repositionable notes, such as apad of 3 inch by 3 inch notes. The ribs help control the shuttling ofthe pad during dispensing. In another embodiment to control theshuttling of the pad, in place of or in addition to ribs 49, thedispenser may further include a pair of guides disposed in the interiorsurface of the front portion spaced to accommodate a specific size padof repositionable notes. Spring 48, disposed on inside surface 32 of therear portion, supports and biases the plate towards the front portion.When pad 70 of repositionable notes is inserted into the dispenser, theplate moves from its first position of less compression (shown in FIG. 6a) to its second position of more compression (shown in FIG. 6 b).

Disposed on outside surface 31 of the rear portion is means forattaching the dispenser to a surface, such as work surfaces, walls,refrigerator doors, and the like. This particular embodiment shows thatone exemplary means for attaching the dispenser is a composite 60 havingreleasable adhesive strip 62 and hooking devices 64 that would mate withcomplementary hooking devices pre-attached to the surface. Exemplaryreleasable adhesive strip products are available from 3M Company underthe Command™ brand of product lines.

FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of another exemplary biasing mechanismthat can be used for the dispenser of the present invention. The biasingmechanism includes plate 146 having mounting surface 146 a and opposingsupport surface (not shown). A pair of pins 144 extend from opposingside edges 146 c and 146 d near top edge 146 b of the plate. The pinsare adapted for engagement with a pair of hooks 135 extending from theinterior surface of the rear portion in the primary cavity. The pins andhooks together create a hinge. Torsion spring 148, having a central coilmounted on extension 149, has two arms, the first arm contacting insidesurface 132 of rear portion 130 and a second arm contacting the supportsurface of the plate. The extension upon which the torsion spring islies mounted between the hooks.

FIG. 3 shows a front plan view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 having aheight dimension H. Aperture 28 a in first front panel 20 a and aperture28 b in second front panel 20 b provides decorative features to thedispenser, especially where a multicolored pad of notes is used. Forexample, a pad of notes may contain alternating blue color and greencolor notes, so that as a blue note is being dispensed a green note canbe seen. In this way, the dispenser provides a decorative design elementto its environment. Slot 28, rounded at first edge 23, has a spacingdimension S₁ at the first edge. Away from first edge 23, the walls ofthe slot become substantially straight and have a spacing dimension S₂approaching second end 24 of the front portion. As shown, S₁ is greaterthan S₂. The wider width of the slot near the first edge of thedispenser aids loading the pad of notes as the first note can befunneled into the slot at the wider radius opening. In yet anotherembodiment, the slot has a dimension where the spacing S₁ is smallerthan the spacing S₂ so that there slot has a necked down region near topedge 23 of the front portion.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom plan view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 showing anexposed surface of the base 10 having an oblong shape with roundedsides. Other shapes can be used, such as, but not limited to,rectangles.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 loaded withpad of repositionable notes 70 where first note 71 extends through theslot. Writing utensils 80 have been inserted into the secondary cavity.The pad of repositionable note has two opposing edges that containstripes of repositionable adhesive on a backside of each note. The padis loaded into the dispenser such that the stripes of repositionableadhesive is substantially parallel to the slot.

FIG. 9 shows a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention. Forease of understanding, the dispenser is shown without a biasingmechanism and without a means for attaching the dispenser to a surface.First internal wall 113 lies proximate to first side 150 a to formsecondary cavity 114. The internal wall extends from the inside surfaceof the rear portion towards the front portion. In another embodiment,the internal wall extends from the inside surface of the rear portion tothe inside surface of the front portion. In one application, thesecondary cavity can be used to hold writing instruments, such as pens,markers, and the like. Optionally, second internal wall 115 can be addedproximate second side 150 b. Optionally, a pair of guides 125 extendfrom internal surface 122 of front portion 120. In one embodiment, thedistance between the first and second internal walls accommodates aspecific pad size, such as, e.g., a pad of 4 inch by 4 inchrepositionable notes. In one embodiment, the front portions aretranslucent. In such a case, it may be desirable not to have internalwalls 113 and 115 that extend from the rear portion to be in contactwith front portions.

The dispenser can be made of a variety of materials including, plastics,metals, and woods. Suitable plastic materials include, but not limitedto, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer) and polystyrene.

In one embodiment, the dispenser has a length L of 5½ inch, a height Hof 3.63 inch, and a depth D of 1 inch. The dispenser has a firstinternal wall disposed 1 inch from its first side (depictedschematically as L₂ in FIG. 9) such that the primary cavity is 4½inches. The dispenser has a second internal wall disposed ¼ inch fromits second side (depicted schematically as L₃ in FIG. 9). The distancebetween the first and second internal walls is 4.125 inch. The dispenseralso has a pair of guides, extending from the interior surface of thefront portion, spaced 3.125 inches apart. In this way, this particulardispenser is capable of holding two sizes of pads of repositionablenotes, a 4 inch by 4 inch pad and a 3 inch by 3 inch pad.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is understood that these embodiments are merelyillustrative of the many possible specific arrangements that can bedevised in application of the principles of the invention. Numerous andvaried other arrangements can be devised in accordance with theseprinciples by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the presentinvention should not be limited to the structures described in thisapplication, but only by the structures described by the language of theclaims and the equivalents of those structures.

1. A dispenser having a primary cavity having first and second sides andan open end and a closed end, the open end allowing for the insertionand the removal of a pad of notes, the dispenser further comprising: abase defining the closed end of the dispenser; front and rear portions,each portion having first and second ends and opposing inside andoutside surfaces, the front and rear portions disposed on the base suchthat the second end of each portion is proximate to the base, the frontportion comprises a slot extending from the first end to the second end;and a biasing mechanism disposed proximate the rear portion.
 2. Thedispenser of claims 1 wherein the biasing mechanism lies between theinside surfaces of the front and rear portions.
 3. The dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising first an internal wall proximate to thefirst side of the primary cavity forming a secondary cavity and a secondinternal wall proximate to the second side of the primary cavityextending from the inside surface of the rear portion.
 4. The dispenserof claim 1, wherein the front and rear portions are joined at side seamsproximate to first and second sides of the primary cavity.
 5. Thedispenser of claim 1, wherein the front and rear portions are formedintegrally.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the front portion, rearportion, and base are formed integrally.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1,wherein the slot in the front portion is wider near the first end thannear the second end.
 8. The dispenser of claim 1 made from materialsselected from the group consisting of wood, plastic, and metal.
 9. Thedispenser of claim 8, wherein the plastic is selected from the groupconsisting of ABS and polystyrene.
 10. The dispenser of claim 1, whereinthe biasing mechanism comprises: an arm having means for attaching themechanism; a plate extending from the arm, the plate having opposingside edges and opposing mounting and supporting surfaces; a springdisposed on the inside surface of the rear portion, the spring incontact with the supporting surface of the plate and biasing the platetowards the inside surface of the front portion.
 11. The dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the plate further comprises a pair ribs extending fromthe side edges.
 12. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the biasingmechanism comprises a plate having opposing side edges, a top edge, andopposing mounting surface and support surfaces; a hinge extending fromthe interior surface of the rear portion; a pin extending from the sideedges of the plate proximate to its top edge, the pin in communicationwith the hinge; a torsion spring mounted on an extension disposedproximate to the hinge, the torsion spring having two arms, the firstarm contacting the interior surface of the rear portion, the second armcontacting the support surface of the plate.
 13. The dispenser of claim1, wherein the rear portion comprises means for attaching the dispenserto a surface.
 14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the means forattaching the dispenser to a substrate is releasable adhesive strips.15. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the first portion furthercomprises a pair of guides extending of its internal surface, thedistance between the guides being smaller than the distance betweenfirst and second internal walls.
 16. The dispenser of claim 15, whereinthe primary cavity holds 4 inch by 4 inch or 3 inch by 3 inch pad ofrepositionable notes.
 17. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising apad of repositionable notes, the notes stacked in a z-stackedconfiguration.
 18. The dispenser of claim 1 having a length of about 5.5inch, height of about 3.63 inch, and a depth of about 1 inch.
 19. Thedispenser of claim 18 wherein the primary cavity has a length of about4.25 inch and the secondary cavity has a length of about 1 inch.
 20. Thedispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the front portion andback portion is translucent.